Honing equipment



April 22, 1958 w. D. sKRAN HoNING EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 10, 1957 1li-E- L, Lz 53 1N V EN TOR.' WLLJAMZ?. 5m N.

April 2 2, 1958 w. D. sKRAN 2,831,297

HONING EQUIPMENT Filed June 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 INVENTOR.' IML-JAM Z7. EKJMN. BY

HGNENG EQUIPMENT William D. Skran, Toledo, liio, assigner to The National Pioneer, lne., Muncie, ind., a corporation of indiana Application June 1t), 1957, Serial No. 664,847

19 Claims. (Cl. 51-92) This invention relates to power operation of special tools and control features therefor. More particularly, it has utility when incorporated in surface treating of items of production, especially in ranges of low or close tolerances, such as for example, in the honing and simultaneously air gauging of the inside diameter of objects, which objects are moved over a rotating spindle of radially adjustable abrading elements.

It is an object of this invention to produce an efficient, effective and accurate gauging and honing apparatus for the inside diameter of cylindrical holes.

Another object is to produce such an apparatus which continuously and accurately gauges the diameter of the hole during the honing operation and after the desired diameter has been reached, it automatically stops its honing operation.

Another object is to produce a honing mandrel for such an apparatus, which mandrel may be readily adapted for gauging and honing different size holes with the same set of honing stones within a range of about ls" variation in diameters.

Another object is to provide a honing apparatus which corrects and maintains the centering of a hole being honed even when the work in which the hole is located is mounted in a completely floating support.

Generally speaking, the honing apparatus of this invention comprises a mandrel having seated therein two stones providing three unequally spaced cutting edges, a continuously operable uid gauge, and a completely oating work piece holder or supporting device for the piece having the hole to be honed, which support may be reciprocated axially of the mandrel.

The seats for the stones on the mandrel are axially slidable in tapered or wedgeshaped grooves in the mandrel so that simultaneous axial movement of said seats, simultaneously moves the stones with respect to the axis of the mandrel, so the stones can be regulated and adjusted to t the hole to be honed; and correspondingly for honing a cylindrical hole, the seats must have complementary tapered or wedge-shaped bottoms for sliding in such grooves. Since two of the cutting edges are mounted on one stone in one seat and only one cutting edge is mounted on the other stone in the other seat, it is necessary that the angle of the sliding tapered surfaces between one seat and groove is different from that angle of the other tapered surfaces in order to compensate for the difference between the moved radial distance from the center of the mandrel to the one cutting edge and the simultaneous moved parallel distances of the two spaced cutting edges on the other stone when both stones and their seats are moved in grooves the same axial distance.

The three separate cutting edges are located at at least two different angles to each other so as not only to always correct any noncircular holes, but also to maintain the mandrel in the exact center Yof the hole being honed, thereby insuring the proper operation of the continuous Patent O uid gauging orifices diametrically opposite each other on the mandrel between the two honing stones.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a somewhat diagrammatic embodiment in a honing machine employing the present invention for honing the interior of cylindrical faces or areas;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View along the axis of the mandrel of the machine of Fig. 1, showing some details of the mounting for the tool active element or abrading stones, as well as the gauge duct connection and its course in the mandrel;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged vertical section along the axis of the stone end of the mandrel shown in Fig. 2 in honing position in a piece of work to be honed, showing one embodiment for mounting the abrading stones on said end of the mandrel;

Fig. 4 is a right end view of the mandrel and work piece shown in Fig. 3, with the end piece for holding the abrading stones removed and parts of the mandrel broken away to show the diametrically opposite air gauging faces therein;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section transverse of the axis of the mandrel, taken in the direction of the arrows along line VV of Fig. 3, showing a further detail of the means for holding the abrading stones on the mandrel;

Fig. 6 is a partial vertical section along the axis of another type of slotted end mandrel, with end assembly for an interchangeable air gauge device;

Fig. 7 is a right-hand end elevation of the mandrel of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the gauging plug insertable in the mandrel shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig. 9 is a further enlarged section taken in the direction of the arrows along line IX--IX of Fig. 6 through the gauging plug in the mandrel;

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of one of the two wedge seats shown in Fig. 3 or 6 that are mounted in the grooves in the mandrel, and which are employed for radially expanding the abrading stones;

Figs. ll and l2 are perspective views of the single edge or T-shaped stone and double edged or U-shaped stone, respectively, which are diametrically mounted on the mandrels shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a mounting plate for the stones in Figs. 1l and 12, showing hook means for maintaining the stones on the mandrel and against their respective wedged seats;

Figs. 14 and l5 are perspective views of another form of stone mounting plate means for the respective and U shaped cross-section stones shown in Figs. 11 and l2, which may be employed instead of the plate shown in Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 is an exaggerated diagrammatic Ycross sectional view of the stones in the mandrel, showing why the. wedge seat under the T-shaped or single edge cutting stone must have a different angle than that for the wedge seat under the U-shaped or double edge cutting stone; and

Fig. 17 is a vertical section similar to part of Fig. 2, showing another embodiment for anchoring a mandrel in a rotating shaft, and of means for adjusting the relative axial position of the wedge shaped seats carrying the abrading stones for honing different diameter pieces.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of a honing machine, there may be mounted on.its housing 1, an felectric. motor -Zf with a speed reduction device 3 having belt gearing connection 4 to drive a mandrel carrying shaft 5 in the housing 1. In extending through the housing 1, the shaft 5 may have an adapter 6 for a body or mandrel proper 7 (see Fig.` 2, or body 7' in Fig. 17). A nut 8 (see Fig. 2 or a nut 8 in Fig. 17) may, together with a cooperating means 9 (see Fig. 2, or a collapsible sleeve or chuck 9 in Fig. 17), grip cylindrical end portion 11 of mandrel extension 12 in an axial recess 10 of body 7 (see Fig. 2, or recess 10' or body 7' in Fig. 17). The mandrel extension 12 has extending from the free end thereof a pair of diametrically disposed channel seats 13 and 13 tapered to converge slightly toward the end of the extension 12 remote from the body 7 or 7'.

T he abrading elements In the embodiment of Fig. 2, a rod means 14 guides a collar 15 to rotate with the body 7, while in the embodiment of Fig. 17 a key means 14 guides a collar 15 to rotate with the body 7. Diametrically in the collar 15 or 1S is a pair of ways 1S and 18' parallel to the axis of the mandrel (in Fig. 2 or 17 respectively), into which ways the end portions 19 of arms 29 are adapted to be inserted, and where they may be held in place by means of set screws 21 or Z1 to tix the arms 2i) in their corresponding ways 18 or 18', respectively, at a desired position axially of the mandrel, as well as determine the holding action of the abraders or stones 23, 24, mounted on their wedge seats 2S, 26, respectively, connected to the arms 2li (see Figs. 3, 10).

Separate plate means 23 (see Fig. 13) may be provided for holding the stones 23 and 24, to which plates the stones may be glued o1' plastically molded. These particular plate means 28 may be provided as shown in the prior art Muehling U. S. Patent No. 2,631,414 with opposing end hooks which may be engaged by resilient or helical spring band means 28a and 28117 to hold the stones against their supporting wedge seats 25 and 25 and to hold the wedge seats in the grooves 13 and 13' on opposite sides of mandrel 12, as is also known in the prior art (see said Muehling Patent No. 2,631,414). By variation of the distance that the arm portions are inserted into the apertures 18 or 18 in the collars 15 or 15', respectively, the abraders or stones radial position may be accurately determined, because the seats 13 and 13 for the abraders are separately wedge-shaped or tapered. Thus, the radial position of the abraders may be pre-set to fit a standard gauge, such as a sleeve gauge 29 (shown in dotted lines in gauging position in Fig. 2), which standard gauge 29 may be chosen to correspond to the nal or desired dimension of the hole to be honed in the work piece 31) (see Figs. l, 3 and 4). For simultaneous and equal axial movement of the wedge seats 2S and 26, the two separate wedge seats and 26, and their corresponding tapered grooves 13 and 13 in the mandrel 12, must -be slightly different in angle in order to keep the same center for all three of the cutting edges when they are radially expanded. Thus, at all times the distance between the two parallelly moved cutting edges e1 and e2 on the stone 23 (see Fig. 16) and the center O of the mandrel must be exactly the same as the distance between the radially moved one cutting edge e3 on stone 24 and the center O of the mandrel. (In contrast also see Fig. 16 where the effect of the surfaces A and B of the same angle wedges is diagrammatically illustrated to produce an erroneous result, namely that the cutting edges e1', e2' and e3 then produce an oi-centered abrading circle with its center at 0'.) The slight difference in angle between the wedges 2S and 26 yand their supplementary grooves 13 and 13' is a necessary criterion for accurate continuous gauging of the work mounted in a floating work piece as shown in Fig. 1, wherein the diierent circumferentially spaced (angles Yor and in Fig. 16)

cuttingedges e1, e2 and e3 of the two stones 23 and 24 f 4 determine both the size and the center of the hole being honed.

Instead of the stones 23 and 24 being bonded on plates 28 as shown in Fig. 13, there may be provided different 5 stone mounting plate means which surround the stone as well as have end engaging hooks similar to plate 2S in Fig. 13. These mounting means are specifically adapted for the two different shaped cross section stones 23 and 24, and are shown in perspective in Figs. 14 and 15, re- 10 spectively, which are adapted to be used in place of the plates 28.

The gauge Connected to be operated by the motor 2 (Fig. 1) is a 15 fluid pump 31, herein adopted as a source of compressed air supply controlled by -a valve 32 for compressed air flow through a duct 33 to an indicator device 34, from which devi-ce extends a duct 35 to the mandrel 7. From the housing 1 (Fig. l) is attached a stationary bracket 20 36 to carry a sealed packing joint providing ring 37 (Figs. 1 and 2) in radial register position with a relatively rotatably axially tixed ring 38 on the central mandrel body 7. Thereby the duct 35 has communication through a duct section 39 in the ring 37 to an annular or 25 ring passage 40 at the relatively rotatable packed joint 39' (such as the sealing joint described in Radfords U. S. Patent No. 1,972,393) between the sleeves or rings 37 and 38. From this passage 40 extend duct sections 41 in ward through the ring 38 to an annular or ring passage 30 42 at a connection oflthe ring 38 with the central mandrel body 7. These annular or ring passages 40 and 42 extend completely around the ring 38 to insure unobstructed communication and fluid pressure at all times through radial ducts 39, 41 and 43 during the honing 35 operation and rotation of the tool. The body 7 has radial ducts 43 from the ring passage 42 to an axial duct 44 extending through the central body 7 for direct flow connection to an axial duct 45 from the end portion 11 through the mandrel extension 12 to a pair of radial 40 ducts 49 (Figs. 3 and 4) extending diametrically to and through opposite work gauging inserts having contact faces S0 (Fig. 4), which faces 50, from the ducts 49, have shallow seepage, vent ways or grooves 51 (see also grooves s1' inrigs. s and 9). The set-up for machine operation is preferably carried out by placement of the standard gauge piece 29, for the particular dimension of work in the position shown in Fig. 2. Electric power supply lines or conductors 52 (see Fig. l) are cut in by a switch 53 to start the motor With the fluidfpressure build-up, the valve 32 is ad- )usted for the indicator 34 to have a pointer 54 to come to a control point contact 55. At the motor 2 is a cutoff switch 56 from which a conductor 57 extends to the pointer 54. When the pointer 54 swings to the contact 55 55, a conductor 58 therefrom to the switch 56 cuts out the motor 2, thereby discontinuing machine operation.

When item of work 30 (Fig. 1)-is placed in its treatment receiving position about the stones 23, 24, the contact gaugingsurfaces 50 have such snug seating with the work that the air flow from the supply 31 by the duct 35 for outflow at the duct ports 49 is held down to the slow flow off through the seepage ways 51.

Ihe close tolerance honing of the work is effective in A.dressing down with minute accuracy the inner cylindrical 6, face of the work item 30,herein under treatment. It is to be noted that the fluid seepage or flow from the air gauge is within the area of the work face being treated. Accordingly, directly as such face approximates the ultimate dimension prescribed by the pre-set standard, air ow increases through the ducts 49 and across the faces 50, so that the pressure drop therefrom reacting at the indicator 34 results in the pointer 54 swinging toward the pre-set contact 55, thus to insure that, when this point is reached, there is immediate discontinuance of further honing action upon the item of work.

The operation set-up for the work may embody a holder or ring 59 mounted on a lever 60 to be thereby held from rotation, but as occasion may be therefor, a limited reciprocation may be provided through a link 61 from an adjustable crank 62., say at a worm or other speed reduction 63 actuated by the motor 2, herein shown as from the speed reduction device 3. Or, a reciprocating support for the work may ybe employed which also is completely oating as shown and described in co-pending U. S. patent application Serial No. 378,272 of F. S. Young assigned to the same assignee as this application and now U. S. Patent No. 2,759,302.

The joint between the axial duc-ts 44, 45, has a seal 64 connection (see Pig. 2), which may provide some very minor axial adjustment for the stones'by relative motion of the stone supports connected through collar to the central mandrel body 7 with respect to the end portion of the mandrel extension 11 chucked in said body 7 by the setting of the chuck 9. However, the major adjustment for the stones 23, 24, is at the mounting of the collar 15. In practice, the insertion of the arm ends into the ring 15 has for its major purpose the location of the stone 23 on the wedge seat 25 in appropriate peripheral register with the stone 24 on the wedge seat 26. The extent of the compression for sealing action of the packing 64 approaches being negligible, so far as the axial distance in shifting the stones 23, 24, along the axially tapering guides 13 is concerned.

In lieu of carrying the duct 45 directly through the mandrel extension body 12 to the ducts 49, a mandrel extension 12 (see Fig. 6) may be provided having an end or diametrical slot 47 therein into which may be interchangeably inserted different gauging sections 46 (Figs. 7 through 10). In order to hold the gauge section 46 in place in the mandrel, there may be provided a set screw 27 in an axial hole 27 in body 12 for clamping against gauge section 46. The section 46 may have a cylindrical extension 66 (Figs. 6 and 8) with a seal or gasket connection 64', for there aligning with the ducts 45 and 44 an axial duct 48 extending in the section 46 to the radial ducts 49 outwardly to Work contact faces 50', shown as somewhat outward from the outer cylindrical surface of the body 12. Thus, in View of the range of radial adjustment of the cutting edges of the stones 23 and 24 by the Wedges 25 and 26, a comparatively wide range of apertures may be honed with the same stone by inserting different air gauging blocks or sections 46 in the mandrel 12' of the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 through 9. Similarly, a range of variations is possible by using different gauge inserts with faces 50 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 4.

Major or wear adjustment for abrader elements For the compensation of the wear rate and general simultaneous adjustment range for the cutting or abrading stones 23, 24, such as may be determined by shifting of the ring 15 in Fig. 2 along its rod guide 14, or in Fig. 17 `by shifting the ring 15 along key guides 14. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the rod means 14 passes through an aperture in the central mandrel body 7 and may be connected to an axially movable guide plug 90 via an arm 91 yto which arm the end of the rod guide means 14' is connected. A hook means 92 may be provided on the opposite side of the plug 90 from the arm 91, which hook may vbe connected through the hollow shaft 5 with a complementary hook on a rod 93, which rod extends through to the opposite end of the shaft 5 and there connects with a screw adjustment means or hand wheel knob 94 (see Fig. l).

To this end, the modification in Fig. 17 may have on the ring 15 an annular rib 73. The rib 73 may be embraced by the spanner end 74 of a fork 75, pivoted on an extension 76 of the bracket 36 at a pivot bearing 77. A lever is formed by an upwardly extending arm 73 on the fork 75 from the pivot 77, which arm 78 may be adjusted through a-handwheel 79 co-acting `with-a pointer or gauge 80-and having fixed therewith a screw forming axle 81 rotatable in a threaded hole in the free end of the arm 78. Extending from this axle 81 may be a ball and socket joint 82 journalled in extension 36 or the bracket 76, so that the axle 81 may thus have rocking action and respond to lengthening or shortening the spacing of the arm 78 from the bracket extension 36 or 76, in thereby eiecting shifting or adjustment of the ring 15' along the shaft 7 toward or from the seat portions 13 and 13' of the mandrel. There is thus provided a device. which enables minute and accurate adjustment of the stones 23, 24, even during operation of the machine.

The disclosure herein has extended to controls effective for automatically and accurately caring for and gauging an item of work. This does not preclude, however, manual steps, as for handling varied items, although the abrader mountings and the gauge features contribute to machine utility.

While there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary honing tool having stones providing at least three cutting edges positioned at at least two different angles from each other around the round surface of the cutting loci of said edges, at least two separate means for supporting the honing stones having said edges with two of said edges being supported by one of said supporting means, means for moving said stones and their separate supporting means so that all ofv said edges move radially simultaneously the same radial distance from the axis of said loci, and a completely floating work supporting means for the work to be honed on said tool.

2. A tool according to claim l wherein said round surface of said cutting loci comprises a cylinder, said cutting edges are parallel to the axis of said cylinder, and the axis of said cylinder coincides with the rotary axis of said tool.

3. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said means for supporting said stones comprise different tapered means whereby the two spaced edges on said one supporting means are moved radially the same distance as the one edge on the other supporting means for the same axial movement of their said supporting means Aby said moving means.

4. A tool according to claim 1 including means for continuously and accurately gauging the diameter of the surface being honed during the honing operation.

5. A rotary honing tool providing stones having three peripherally 4arranged cutting edges at two different radial angles from each other, said cutting edges being parallel to the axis of rotation of said tool, said tool comprising: a body portion, two separate means in said body portion for supporting the stones having said three cutting edges, two edges being supported by one means and one by said other means, means for simultaneously moving said two separate supporting means whereby all three of said cutting edges are moved radially to the axis of said rotating tool the same distances simult-aneously to maintain the axis of said tool coincident with the axis of the surface being honed at all times during the honing operation, and a completely oating work supporting means for reciprocating the Work to be honed on said tool.

6. A tool according to claim 5 wherein said two separate stone supporting means are diarnetrically opposite each other on said body portion.

7. A tool according to claim 5 wherein said means for simultaneously moving said twoseparate supporting means comprises tapered means and means for connecting said supporting means to move them simultaneously equal distances in an axial direction.

8. A tool according to claim including means for continuously and accurately gauging the diameter of the surface being honed during the honing operation cornprising gauging means mounted in said body portion diametrically between said supporting means.

9. A honing tool comprising: a body portion having an axis of rotation and at least two longitudinal channels in the outer surface of said body portion parallel to said axis, longitudinal honing stones mounted in said channels and presenting at least three longitudinal honing edges whose loci form a perfect round surface around said body portion with its axis coincident with the axis of said body portion, two of said edges being mounted in one of said channels, said edges being spaced peripherally around said body portion at at least two different angles whereby both of said axes are maintained coincident during all honing operations, separate means in each of said channels for simultaneously moving all of said edges the same radial distances from said axis, and means for continuously gauging the surface honed by said edges.

10. A tool according to claim 9 wherein said channels have wedge shaped bottoms converging toward said axis.

11. A tool according to claim 9 wherein the stone having said two of said edges has a U-shaped cross section.

12. A tool according to claim 9 wherein said separate means in each of said channels comprises wedges of different pitch.

13. A t'ool according to claim 9 including completely floating work supporting means for the work being honed on said tool.

14. An automatic honing and gauging machine comprising: a rotating honing tool having a body portion with two spaced longitudinal channels substantially parallel to the rotating axis of said body, at least two longitudinal honing stones with longitudinal cutting edges radially movable in said channels, one stone having one cutting edge and being mounted in one channel and the other stone having two cutting edges and being mounted in the other channel to provide three cutting edges around said body portion spaced at two dilerent angular distances from each other to insure accurate centering of said tool at all times with the work being honed, a gauging device connected through said tool body portion to continuouslyand simultaneously gauge opposite sides of the work being honed during the honing operation, and completely oating Work supporting means for the work to be honed on said tool.

15. A machine according to claim 14 wherein sai one of said stones has aninverted T-shaped cross section and said other of said stones having a U-shaped cross section.

16. A machine according to claim 14 wherein said gauging device is a uid gauging device.

17. A machine according to claim 14 including means responsive to said gauging device for automatically controlling the honing operation.

18. A machine according to claim 17 wherein said means responsive to said gauging device stops the honing machine when a predetermined size has been honed.

19. A device according to claim 14 including a means for axially reciprocating said work supporting means relative to the axis of said tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,001,122 Brickner May 14, 1935 2,264,360 Carlin Dec. 2, 1941 2,284,325 Kline May 26, 1942 2,299,225 Gjertsen Oct. 20, 1942 2,403,546 Olsen July 9, 1946 2,412,419 Palotsee Dec. 10, 1946 2,477,508 Arms July 26, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, page 162, May 22, 1947.

UNITED STATES PATENT oTTlc/:E CETTMCATE 0F 'CRRECTION Patent NO, 2,831,297 April 22, 1958 William Du Skran It is hereby certified that error appears in theprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l, line 22, after "abrading elemente" insert the following paragraph m This application is a Continuation= inmPart application of the Wmo Do Skran U 5 patent application Serial NO. 4339638 filed June l, 1954 and now abandoned.,

Signed and sealed this 4th day of November 1958.,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AIQINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Oicer Commissioner of Patents 

